Meant for more than secrecy
by journeytomexico
Summary: Fred and Hermione have kept their serious relationship secret for 3 years. Now about to enter a war that threatens them both Fred wants to tie Hermione to him in one final way.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Fred and Hermione have kept up a secret relationship for 3 years, and now war is upon them and Fred needs to tie Hermione to him in one final way before she leaves.

**Pairing: **Fred/Hermione

**Note: **Basically unlike my other story where Fred and Hermione are open about their relationship, in this story they keep it completely secret. I fancied writing an ending for them if they'd never told.

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><p>It had started with simple cautious glances across a room, fleeting touches when they passed one another. At first he'd ridiculed himself when his gaze strayed around the common room and his eyes fixed on her for a few more seconds than necessary, but the feelings were there.<p>

He found himself noticing stupid things, like when her lessons were, so he knew when she'd be in the common room. How she'd furrow her eyebrows when she was angry with Ron, and how good-natured she was with everyone, not just her friends, but everyone.

_"What's up with you?" George, his slightly taller twin counterpart was stood over him, and Fred looked up, grinning, knowing he'd see the identical grin mirrored on his face._

_"Nothing." Fred responded, realising he'd been watching the fourth years, as Harry and Ron played chess. He attempted to get up from the chair, but his long limbs proved difficult to manouvere, and when George pushed his shoulder he fell back again, easily, and looked up at his brother expectantly, who clearly wanted somethng._

_"You're staring at Granger." George said this under his breath, and Fred looked at him, scoffing._

_"I am not, I was just looking at them." He said this defiantly, and George flopped into the chair opposite him._

_"You can't be looking, Gred. She isn't exactly yours to look at." George's use of their nickname coupled with the serious implication of what he was saying gave weight to their conversation, and Fred looked at him rather than rubbish that, say that he didn't need warning._

_"She's not his either." Fred mentally kicked himself, now he looked like a brat. His better option would have been to simply laugh at his twin that anyone could be possibly fancying Hermione. _

_"Don't go down this road." George said this, then sat back, abruptly changing the topic as Lee Jordan arrived, leaving Fred to mull over his words._

Could he have explained then? Probably not.

But when he looked at her, he met those soft brown eyes looking back at him, and that alone gave him hope that the ridiculous attraction that was building inside him wasn't completely one sided. Could he have told George that day by day, he was becoming completely captivated by the fourth year?

George had continued to make his disapproval clear, Fred didn't need to confide in him about having feelings for her, he had known. Fred, why had never not taken his brother's advice, had remained in the same role she was expecting, she was simply hs brothers friend. He couldn't afford to feel anything stronger for her, at the same time that he couldn't ignore that he already did.

But it'd happened, of course they'd happened.

The anticipated brushing of his lips upon her cheek a few years earlier, egged on by his completely unaware brothers, even Ron egging on as she'd blushed. It'd been christmas over her that year, and they'd returned to school having changed everything, simply by him crossing the barrier they'd both vehemently avoided.

Spending a few moments alone together, a late night talk, and their accquaintance had transformed into an uncertain friendship.

Friendly banter and a chance oppurtunity where they'd been left alone had led to him letting out his feelings, the ones he'd kept in all year. She'd reciprocated, and it'd led to her first 'real' kiss under what they'd christened 'their' cherry blossom tree. Any doubt or uncertainty he'd felt about whether he'd been doing the right thing, that he should be taking a girl his brother so clearly had feelings for, went out the window, as her small body fitted so perfectly into his arms, he knew they were right together.

So ensued Fred and Hermione, a couple nobody would expect but in his opinion, he'd struck the jackpot.

Their relationship had naturally developed into one of stealth, by unspoken agreement. It avoided the awkward breakup that perhaps both had expected but had never come, after two years they were still the same, as real as any other relationship, and it had eventually become habit. Neither had tired of having to cover up for each other, in a way it made them more special, and Fred secretly suspected they wouldn't have lasted as long as they did, had they not avoided the outside pressures that would surely have come given their situation. And while she vehemently denied it, he constantly told himself Hermione wouldn't have fallen so hard for a prankster like himself had she had the influence of everyone else.

There was the excitement and thrill of having someone nobody knew about, but the terrible thoughts in the backs of their minds as they continued on their journey, fell further into a place they were both visiting for the first time, together. They'd evaded lying, had light relationships with other people, but neither saw anyone but the other. If she was down, she'd come to him, in the early hours of the morning waiting outside his dorm when she'd fought with his brother, and as they'd grown, he'd kiss her tears away.

Fred Weasley was in love with Hermione Granger. He knew that, much as they'd tried to call what they had less than love, due to the massive issue it caused. Undercover, together, they'd experienced so many things for the first time, grown into themselves. Watching her now across the kitchen he'd grown up in, he knew they were meant for more than secrecy. She was his. His first love, his only love. And he wanted more than that.

"Hermione?"


	2. Chapter 2

****Summary: ****Fred and Hermione have kept up a secret relationship for 3 years, and now war is upon them and Fred needs to tie Hermione to him in one final way before she leaves.

**Pairing: **Fred/Hermione

**Note: **Basically unlike my other story where Fred and Hermione are open about their relationship, in this story they keep it completely secret. I fancied writing an ending for them if they'd never told.

_Hope you enjoyed part 1, here's part 2._

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><p>"Hermione?"<p>

She looked round at him, her brow furrowed, and Fred grinned to himself. Looking around, he saw nobody, so stood up and approached her. He caught her around the waist, leaning in to kiss her lightly on the nose. She smiled, and leaned into his chest, but the distant, faraway look in her eyes that had been there for the last few days plagued him, and he reached down to take her hand.

"Come for a wander?" She nodded.

"Give me a second." She started to put away the vegetables she'd been peeling for Molly and Fred leant back on his elbows against the counter. They'd been preparing for the last week, for the wedding. His elder brother Bill was marrying his fiancé, Fleur, in a matter of days, despite everything, the war that promised to take over their lives. Hermione had spent a lot of time with Ron and Harry. Whilst this was anything but unusual, he'd heard the whispers of everyone around him, the Order.

Everyone thought Harry was planning something, he himself suspected he would leave, particularly after what he'd said when they'd rescued him. And their lives depended on it, if you believed he was the Chosen One, as Fred wholeheartedly did. What Fred wanted to know, was whether Hermione was going with him.  
>She turned, smiling, and held out her hand, which he gladly took as they stepped out the kitchen door into the garden.<p>

"It's a beautiful day." Hermione said, folding her arms as they made their way down the winding path to the end of the Burrow's garden. She turned and looked at him earnestly, squinting slightly in the bright sun. He nodded. Her closed body language was anything but normal behaviour for Hermione, but something he'd seen increasingly over the last few days. It had only added to the worry in his mind that she was hiding her plans from him.

"Let's sit, shall we?" He beckoned towards a nearby bench and they sat. Her eyes met his, inquisitive, but he could see it there. She was hiding something. For a few moments though, he just enjoyed sitting there with her, idly teasing one of her curls around his finger. It was rare for them to have time alone at the Burrow, it was only by chance today that everybody else was too busy together to notice their escape.

"Are you going away with Harry?" He came out and asked, verbalising what he'd suspected for a few days. Hermione over the years had only told him snippets of what her and Ron were privy to about Harry, but the entire family had suspected something was amiss, and the way she averted her eyes told him all he needed to know.

"Fred, I can't…" She trailed off, and faced him, crossing her legs on the wooden bench so she could look into his eyes.

"I can't tell you. I want to…" She took both his hands.

"I want to tell you everything, but I can't."

"Why?" Fred asked despite knowing the answer.

"I can't." Her voice lowered to a whisper, and she took one of her hands back, resting her cool fingers against his cheek.

"I can't put you in the danger of knowing where I am, what I'm doing." He reached up and touched her fingers, leaning closer to her. She was close to tears, he could tell, and he wanted nothing more but to make that stop.

"Hermione." She closed her eyes.

"I understand that you can't tell me where you're going. I'm not asking you to tell me what you're going to do. But please, tell me if you're leaving here."

'Leaving me' was there, unsaid, trailed at the end of the sentence, and she opened her eyes again, her brown eyes wet with tears.

He knew what was coming. When she said it, he'd have to accept it. She couldn't stay here, there were bigger things at stake.

"Yes." She said it quietly.

"But you can't tell them Fred, nobody can know." Much as he couldn't find it in him to smile, he mustered a ghost of one for her, and the pressure around his fingers let him know she appreciated it.

"Like I'm alien to things people can't know." He said finally.

"You're going to be in danger, and you expect me to let you go?" He said after a minute of them sitting alone, in silence. He turned to her.

"I love you Hermione. I love you more than anything in the world, and I have done for years." She started to speak, but he shook his head, held up a hand.

"What will I do if something happens to you?" He said, his tone broken and weak.

"It's because you love me that you'll let me go, Fred." Fire was in her eyes, and as she sat before him he didn't see a girl he needed to protect, much as he wanted to. One of the many, many reasons he loved Hermione Granger was that she could definitely look after herself. She was right, again. But could he expect anything less from her?

"So this is it." Fred had got the answer he needed, but he felt no happier. He felt in his pocket for the velvet box, knowing he couldn't ask her to do what he'd intended to do, playing this over in his mind. She was looking at him, searchingly, and he realised he needed to continue.

"I love you, you love me. Nobody even knows we're together, and now we're about to enter the war." He said this matter of factly, a bitter laugh escaping his lips.

"If you want to end this, I understand." Hermione said to him, withdrawing her hands. The pain in her eyes was apparent, she wasn't going to mask this from him.

"I know it'll be hard for you to wait for me to do what I have to. But this commitment has been with me since I was 11, Fred." He shook his head, violently, realising how she'd taken his words.

"Hermione, there's nobody but you for me." He said, and she looked at him sharply. He stood up, pulling her to her feet. He was shocked, but had expected nothing less from the girl he loved, that she'd offered what she had, a clean break from her. That she would have to sacrifice this for Harry was terrible, but it showed just how loyal she was. Which he could definitely add to the list of reasons he was in love with her.

"Hermione." He felt in his pocket, and her hands went to her mouth as he bent down onto one knee, and took the box from his pocket. When he'd thought about this he'd wondered if he'd feel stupid, being so conventional, but he didn't. This was right.

_Don't mess this up.' _He told himself. _'if you're lucky, you'll only ever have to do this once.' _He held it out.

"Hermione. I love you more than anyone in the world, and I know this is what's in our future." She looked completely shocked.

_'Keep going. Shocked doesn't mean bad.'_

"I know this is a few years ahead of what we may have planned..." He grinned at her, and she gave him a hopeless half smile back.

"But this is what feels right for me. To show my commitment to you." He looked up at her, and was relieved to see a smile on her face, a tear in her eye.

"We both have our roles to play in this war, but when it's over we'll tell everyone, finally put us out in the open. And then we can be together."

_'She hasn't said anything, do I actually have to ask the words?'_

_'Yes, you do.'_

"Hermione, god knows why you'd want to, but can you spend the rest of your life with a prankster like me?" The next few seconds were agonising, while she just stared at him, her expression unreadable. Could he have done it better? He considered trying again, saying more, but then finally, a smile broke out on her face. She nodded.

"Yes." Her eyes widened, at the enormity of what she'd just said, what they'd just decided.

"Yes, yes yes!" She repeated it several times then looked down at him, nodding ferverently.

"Yes Fred Weasley, of course i'll marry you."

He straightened up, and braced himself as she instantly threw her arms around him.

"Of course I'd want you, Fred." She whispered in his ear, and he leaned in to kiss her, her arms curling around his neck once more. She'd said yes. He could deal with everything, her going away with Harry, their separation, not knowing what was happening to her, because she'd said yes. The war didn't matter, nothing mattered, because he was engaged to the most amazing girl he'd ever known.  
>Eventually, they broke apart, her face wet with tears.<p>

"Don't forget this…" He said after a second, taking the diamond ring, chosen only a day ago from a muggle jewellery store in London, he'd rushed out as soon as he'd known what he wanted to do. He slipped it onto her finger.

"I know you can't wear it most of the time…" He said slowly.

"But keep it with you. It's like you having me, us, with you." She nodded, looking down at it, apparently speechless.

"It's perfect." She whispered, but looked torn for a second. She reached behind her head, undoing the chain that hung there, a silver heart pendant she'd had for as long as he could remember.

"I've had this since I was little.. but it's like a piece of me with you. My heart, for you." She handed it to him, and he took it. He hadn't thought of anything like that, simply wanted her to have the ring with her, take a piece of him with her. But this gesture was perfect.

"I'll never put it down." He said, meaning it. And with that, she slipped into his arms again, kissing him gently.

"How do you think they'll take it?" She said as she pulled away, gesturing backwards with her head, towards his family.

"I honestly don't care." He pulled her closer to him, their faces inches apart. It'd be a shock for the family, to know they'd been together for so long and told nobody, let alone that they were marrying.

"If the world worked, we wouldn't be at war, and I could stay here." She nodded down at herself, encased in his arms.

"I could stay with you, in your arms." She looked up at him, her nose crinkling.  
>"They'll be waiting for you." He responded jokingly, and started to idly trace circles on her back.<p>

"Assuming you'll come back to me, that is." He went on, his tone teasing, covering what he was actually showing concern for.

"I don't know, some of those death eaters are pretty dashing.." She winked at him, but then became serious.

"We'll both survive this war, love." She leaned in, and whispered into his ear.

"You take care of you, and I'll take care of me, and we'll be together when it's finished. Okay?" She looked at him anxiously, and he nodded.

"I'll survive for you, Hermione." He leaned in, and kissed her, savouring it, knowing full well that this could be the last for a while, for them.


End file.
